My weakness revealed......

This is probably the best cheap thrill around. It's incredibly fun and they have a bunch of them around Germany for children to play on. It's more fun when I go on it my self but Leila wanted to join me on this one. Take a look:

Shout out to my brother Matty who thinks my blogs are T.L.D.R (too long to read). lol I will try to keep this one short and sweet but I think you would get a kick out of this Matty and everyone else.

Tipping in Germany is actually considered impolite. One of the ladies in my German class told a story of how she was chased down after she left a restaurant because she left too much money on the table. My teacher told us that waiters/waitresses make 8-10 Euros an hour but also get a 10 percent cut of what the restaurant makes while they are working. Wow! So different then what we're use to.

My cousin Alex also taught me today that the German word for blood is blut and the word for stupid is blod. When spoken they sound very very similar. As do a lot of words so I have to be very careful not to use them incorrectly because that would be no good.

It's almost the weekend, folks! Keep on truckin'! :)

My next blog is going to be all about the food so stay tuned!

All my love.

-L

Celebrating St. Martin/German Class

As my fellow Americans were celebrating Veterans’ Day on Nov. 11, in Germany the feast of St. Martin is celebrated. St. Martin is a real life Robin Hood who once, while he was riding his horse, found a man in the snow who had nothing. He took the cape off of his own back and gave it to him to save him from freezing to death. For that he is looked upon as a hero. At the Stuttgart street fair there was someone who was dressed as St. Martin (picture above). Lights in paper lanterns are also lit in his honor as a reminder to let your light shine through. At school the children celebrate St. Martin by singing songs, coloring pictures and learning about his story. I celebrated St. Martin by eating duck- a dish that is served during this month because of him.

This week I started my German class. It’s an intensive course that goes for 3 hours in the morning for a few weeks. I have learned so much that my head is still spinning from trying to retain all the information that has been given to me. In the mornings I walk Leila to school and then catch the train into the city. It’s really fun to be studying a language that is spoken in the country I am in. I love getting to go to school again and being a student.

Although, there is no rhyme or reason behind the way things are done in the German language, you just have to know it. For example, the article for ‘the’ can be der, die, or das depending on if the subject is feminine, masculine or natural. If you don’t know the article of the word then you are at a complete loss because then you won’t know how to refer to it when using the word ‘A” (ein/eine) or making it plural. But here’s the kicker, with Spanish where all words that end in O are masculine and are used with El and all words that end in A are feminine and used with La. With German there is kind of a pattern that some words follow but not all do and again like one of my instructor says, “It’s just the way it is.” Are you as confused as I am yet :P.I am having a difficult time with the pronunciation but when I do read correctly I get compliments on how I speak the language and that it sounds really nice.

I have two instructors. My first instructor teaches Mon-Wed. She is a very good teacher and moves at a pace that works for me and my fellow classmates. My other teacher that comes in the rest of the week hardly knows any English which makes things a little more complicated. Good thing 80 percent of what is being said doesn’t actually come out of your mouth or I would be at a total loss. She does however do a good job using the board to show conjugations of the verbs but German script is a little difficult to read. She is a really cool person though. I tried talking to her after class and found out that she knows 5 other language and Latin was the most difficult to learn and she says she’s just not very good in English.

My class is made up of 4 people- Cathy, Devin, Rasha and me. Cathy and her son, Devin are from NY. Cathy’s fiancé is in the military and is out here for two years. Devin is my age and is taking a break from school and visiting his mom as well as learning the language with her. Rasha is from India. Her husband also has a job out here so she wants to learn the language. She is pretty good and when she grew up, she had to learn 3 different languages which I think is neat. It is fun being in a small class because I always get to participate!

I love the fact that the class is located in the city’s town center and that I get to go there every day. I think I like this fact more than the actual class itself. The city has a long main line of stores, shops, cafés, malls as well as a pretty fountain/park area with lots of benches and much entertainment. When I arrive in the morning the place is so quiet with hardly a soul in sight but by the time I get out of class, it is pretty hoppin’. Tons of people quickly fill in this once desolate area and all the sudden it’s alive. The people constantly amuse me and I enjoy the live music because there is always a band playing or some musician on the street. It’s lovely! Since winter is quickly approaching, there is now a Winter Wonderland set up in the town center as well. It’s like a little Christmas snow globe town that has come to life! Today as I walked in to explore the area, Micheal Bubbles Christmas album was coming out of the speakers while people where prancing around the ice skating rink and munching on German food, sweets, as well as sipping on beer and wine . It was super fun. There is also a beautiful Catholic Church downtown located in the center that I like to go and visit and pray in. It is so warm and much more inviting then the church that I live by.

Because I know you’re curious what I learned this week, I wrote a riddle. Try to read it and guess what it says!

Wer bin ich?

Ich komme aus den USA.

Ich wohne in Stuttgart.

Ich bin grundschullehrerin.

Ich liebe Tanzen, Musik und Fotografie

Ich bin dreiundzwanzig Jahre alt.

Wer bin ich?

Mein name ist Lauren.

More Random observations:

*A “fun size” bag (which is the kind one would receive when Trick or Treating) of M&M’s cost about .65 euro cents (90 cents). In those there are about 8 M&M’s. Talk about a rip off!

*Clerks at the grocery store get to sit in a swivel chair all day while checking out items. Kind of makes that job seem a little more enticing..lol

*The host at communion tastes like a dark English tea.

* Pommes (French fries) are served with mayo! YUM!!!

*Kids are given big soft Bretzels (pretzels) to be quiet instead of suckers. lol I always see kids walking one hand with a Bretzel and the other holding the hand of the parent. ha!

*People at Starbucks drink out of the mugs not the disposable coffee cups. Germans are so eco-friendly!

*Germans REALLY like to drive backwards.

*Glass bottles come out of vending machines.

Thanks again for reading about my current life adventures! You are so kind! I am having fun hearing where life has been taking you all as well.

All my love.

-L

Happy Now-vember!

I never thought I would love Germany as much as I do! I’m constantly in awe of the beauty that surrounds me daily. I adore the fact that there is a forest in my backyard and I continuously get lost and swept up in the beauty of it! I feel as if all of Deutschland is at my fingertips. Everything I need is just a bike, train or bus ride away. It’s pretty amazing!

When I came to Germany, I knew I also wanted to get as much traveling in as possible during my short stay here. One of my Colorado friends, Andrew lives and works in Garmisch Partenkirchen which is about a 3 hour drive from where I live in Stuttgart. He knew of my ambitions and was nice enough to invite me on a trip that he planned with one of his co-workers, Ben. Originally, the destination was going to be Mallorca which is a little island off of Spain but last minute it turned into a Norwegian adventure!

What did I find in Norway, you ask? SO much more than I ever expected! Not only did I meet and get to hang out with my new bestest buddy, Ben but I also saw so many things that were worth marveling at. Oslo, Norway is located on a stunning harbor and is known as the city that hosts the Noble Peace Prize. The city itself was very clean, had a safe feel and reminded me of Paris mixed with a bay area.

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In Norway, the currency really through me off guard though. For every 1 dollar in the US, it was worth 5.73 kroner. Things were pretty pricey around the area but it was just strange seeing a banana that cost 20 kroner or a meal that was 99 kroner.

Ben and I decided to buy an Oslo pass for the day that gave us entrance into a ton of museums as well access to all the public transportation. We were glad we did this because the weather was really foggy, rainy and somewhat cold. Museum highlights: The Noble Peace Prize museum where we learned all about this notable award as well as the prestigious winners, getting to see “The Scream” by Munch, The Modern Art Museum that was filled with interactive exhibits as well as sci-fi collector’s items section and a whole floor with expressions of the feminist movement. We ended the day at Vigeland Park which was so neat. It was filled with hundreds of human sculptures that you could climb all over and take some really fun and silly pictures. That was probably the highlight of the trip for me

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I arrived back from Norway to Germany just in time for Leila’s school autumn festival. Halloween is not really celebrated in Germany but the school puts on a fall party for the kids and adults. Pumpkin soup, baked goods as well as drinks are sold and served. They have a pumpkin carving contest… well it was more of a pumpkin decorating contest. And these parents and kids REALLY go all out with berries and leaves, and twigs (pic below). On Halloween Leila begged me to take her on a “Halloween walk” but instead we just ended up carving some fun pumpkins, ate chili bean soup and watched a ghost movie.

This whole past week Leila and Alex were on holiday. Big shocker there :P. They just started school about a month ago and already have a week of break. We spent a lot of time bike riding around the town, in the forests, to the TV Tower and we even stumbled upon a little pasture filled with cute little sheep. One day we took the bus into Neuhausen and visited Leila’s old Kindergarten where the kinders had way too much fun attacking Alex and I!

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I have been helping Leila with her math and she is finally grasping the concept of zero plus another number is always the other number. She is going to be the smartest in her class since they haven’t even started addition! English wise she is becoming so good! Although, she always says, “Can I look TV” and is finally remembering that we use the word watch TV. She also likes to add not on the end of sentences which is kind of funny like “I like that not” because that is the direct translation.

My Aunt Victoria is really good at making sure I am getting an authentic German experience. This weekend we went to a beautiful Castle called Burg Hohenzollern. When we went on the tour, we had to wear slippers over our shoes and slid around the inside which was a ton of fun! She has showed me around Esslingen (which is a beautiful older town) and Neuhausen (where she used to live). Cafés are all around and I have been able to try an Eis (ice cream) café, a wine and cheese café and my favorite was one that served a variety of desserts. I had a chocolate torte and it was really like a little piece of heaven. Probably a sin to taste that good (picture below). Yesterday, Stuttgart was having a street festival where I got to try my first Glühwein which is heated wine with water, sugar and spices!

I recently started a job as a conversation partner with a mother (Sylvia) and her daughter (Katarina). I love talking to people and listening so it’s perfect! I met with the mother once last week and the daughter twice. We spend a couple of hours just talking in English, discussing the differences in culture as well as interest, politics and life. Katarina is 16 and is in year 10. She really loves American music, movies and shows. She thinks it’s cool that in American when someone wins a show like “American Idol,” they actually become a star unlike in Germany where they might be popular with a one hit wonder and then you will never hear of them. Katarina goes to a private school and gets to travel lots. She is hoping to study in Canada next semester so she can practice her English and French. She also makes me laugh because when I asked her what she wants to do with her life, she said she is uncertain but at one point she hopes to marry a black man so she could have chocolate babies. :) Sylvia has been a stay at home mom for the past 20 years. She has a part time job as a physical therapist and a cute bunny named Freddie. I have taught Sylvia her new favorite word which is grocery shopping. She just loves saying that word and it makes me smile that using this word gives her so much joy. It’s been fun getting to know them so far and I look forward to our future interactions!

Some random observations:

*In Germany, Dora does not teach Spanish. QUE!

*Hamburger buns have to be sliced opened. They don’t come pre-cut.

*If I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies- I would have to slice my own chocolate chunks because chocolate chips are not sold. Talk about a lot of work. By the time I was done chopping, I wouldn’t have any energy to make the cookies.

*Movies from America have different titles. Remember the really popular 90’s movie called “Bring It on?” In Germany it’s called “Girls United”, “The Pacifier” is called “Babynator” and “Hitch” is titled “The Date Doctor” lol

*Germans are follow the rule kind of people. When there is a stop sign, it really means to stop. Go figure.

*Tea light candles are a must at ever table in a restaurant and at home.

*Recycling is a BIG part of life here. All water, wine, pop bottles are taxed but if you take them back to the grocery store, you get the taxed money back. Picture below of what it looks like.

Thanks for reading! I hope you are doing fabulous. Let me know what you have been up to! I miss you all and appreciate all the skype calls, emails and fb messages! It's so nice to be connected! Hope to hear from YOU soon!

All my love.

-L

PS...Clarissa-I put in a ton of photo's just for you! :)

Schule (School)

If you know me, then you know how important I believe it is to get a good education. As an educator, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of schools, classrooms as well as with a diversity of many different students, teachers and grades. I’ve had the privilege of growing up, watching and learning from one of the best teachers I know- my mom. She has showed me what it takes and the hard work that goes into excelling as educator. I guess one would say, teaching is in my blood. It’s something that I am so passionate about and something that comes to me as second nature. It’s what I am meant to do with my life and it’s what excites me.

When I came to Germany, I knew that one of the things I wanted to do was go to an elementary school and learn about the education system as well as compare and contrast it to the one in the US. Luckily, I had that opportunity on Friday. I joined my Cousin Leila’s 1^st grade class of 18 students and got to see a little of what it is like to go to a German School.

School in Germany, as you would probably imagine is much different. The school starts at 8:30 and runs to about 11:30. One day a week it goes an hour longer so that religion can be taught. YES religion (Christianity) is taught in a public school……..kind of a mind boggling concept for Americans.

I really don’t know how any teaching and learning gets done in such a short amount of time. Leila has two teachers. On the day I observed, Frau Lingens started with a German lesson. She told the kids about the letter A as in Apfel (apple) and then they traced the letter and drew a picture. This took about an hour. Not even exaggerating. Then the kids got into a circle, sang a couple of songs, read a book and then it was time for snack followed by recess.

It felt more like a glorified pre-kindergarten then a 1^st grade classroom. Leila hardly ever has homework. No spelling words to study or books to read. I’m kind of shocked at this system but I guess it somehow works.

Behavior wise…the class was chaotic. The kids were talking while the teacher was giving her lesson and she really didn’t do anything besides say SHH. She did however write a little boys name on the board when he tipped in his chair and fell over. These 1^st graders were pretty cute though and they all came up and talked to me in German or sang American songs to me.

Recess was really fun! The kids have the greatest equipment to play on! All my work/Lion Den kiddos at home would be so jealous. Recess is combined with all the grades /classes and the teachers don’t have to go out. All the kids came up to me and asked Leila, “Wer ist sie” (Who is she?). I would answer and ask them if they knew English. By 3^rd grade, the kids know English pretty well. They all asked me tons of questions and thought I was from London. When I told them I was from America they would tell me about a state they knew something about or a state where a friend or relative lives.

When recess was over, Frau Lingens left and Herr Kaiser came into the classroom and took the kids to Sport which I guess would be like PE. Sport, however wasn’t in a gym, it was in a regular sized classroom. Instead of playing some type of game that involves a ball like what happens in America, these kids were given a stick and they did aerobic exercises. I participated and man some of the exercises were kind of difficult. By the time Sport was over, I really think I got a good workout for the day…..lol. That was pretty much the extent of the day. Wow, no wonder Leila likes school so much…lol English and Math are taught on other days and I hope to go in another time to see how those are run. On another note, teachers are allowed to wear whatever they want. There is not really a dress code. Some were in t-shirts and jeans and others were wearing nicer clothing.

The school I was in runs 1^st through 5^th grade. When you are in 6^th grade like my cousin Alex, you attend either a Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium, Intermediate School or Gesamtschule. Each one is different and depends on the marks (grades) that you earned in Elementary school. Based on which school you attend, kind of decides what you will do in the future (ie- go to college, a technical school or have a factory type of job). His school runs from 7:45 until 12. Lunch is always at home and then a couple of days a week, he has afternoon school which goes until about 4. He, too hardly has any homework or much time spent in school.

Well if you are still reading, I hope you enjoyed my little “lesson” on school in Germany. I found it very interesting to see the way school is run here and can’t get over how much extra time teachers would have to get things done. Some pictures below!

All my love.

-L

Woche zwei (Week two)

A couple of years ago, one of my best friends- Michelle and I took a trip of a lifetime and were able to travel all over Europe. In each country that we stopped in, we would describe that country with one word. I remember my word for Germany being scenic. This was because we really didn’t get to see much of Germany besides the view from our delay on the autobahn.

I’m really glad I have gotten the opportunity to come back to Germany and this time experience more than just the scenic view. Germany is just lovely! Especially in the fall! It’s like I’m living in a fairy tail! Now I just have to find my prince charming…ha! The weather has been gorgeous the first few weeks. I was a little nervous leaving Colorado's 90 degree sunshine but was pleasantly surprised. There are SO many big trees filled with beautiful shades of reds, yellows and greens. Plus crunchy leaves to step on are everywhere which is personally my favorite thing about this time of year. I like to start my day with a jog or bike ride and am just in awe of my surroundings while discovering my way throughout the town. I am surprised with how many older fit people I see, always on a bike...they amaze me!

So much has happened since my arrival two weeks ago, I don’t know where to start. My first weekend here in the ever charming Stuttgart was spent at the Oktoberfest! What a great experience that was had there! I have never drank so much beer in my life and believe it or not I actually drank it..lol and they were HUGE mugs. The festival is a very fun carnival filled with lots of rides and big tents. Inside the tents is where you go to feast on fried chicken, bread, french fries and of course drink while listening to the band play. For all 5 of us to eat and drink, it cost about 77 Euros. Many people come to the festival dressed up wearing traditional German Clothing. The dresses that girls wear are called dirndls. They also have a ton of booths set up that sell these gingerbread heart cookies. You are supposed to buy one as a sign of affection for the one you like/love. They are made to be worn around the neck and Aunt Victoria says no one really eats them. They are just for show. I think they are pretty neat (1st picture above.)

The food here is pretty good. For the most part they have everything we have in America but it just has a different taste or zip to it. Much time is spent around the dining table- eating, conversing and then after everyone is finished eating- tea or coffee is served. My Aunt makes great German meals of fresh fish or soups or salads. Her foods always look like a picture from a magazine and is very tasty. Although the other day she put too much salt in the potatoes and there is this German legend that says if your cook your food with too much salt, it means you’re in love.

Also, my Aunt and cousins have been teaching me German table manners and quite frankly it drives me crazy. I have to eat with a knife in my right hand and a fork in my left- at all times. My hands also always have to be on the table which is so hard to do when I am use to my American ways.I dare you to try it sometime and tell me what you think.

Language wise- my German ist nicht so gut (not so good). What a complicated language that is supposed to be so similar to ours. Most of the people I encounter know English and like to practice with me. They all tell me that German is more complicated to learn then English but maybe they are just saying that to make me feel better. Sometimes I feel like I walked into the wrong film with no English subtitles to help me translate. I've picked up on key words and phrases but other than that I smile and nod to get by. My cousins and there English are coming along nicely. When I pick up Leila from school she tells all her friends that she is my German teacher and I am her English and Spanish teacher..it’s too cute.

It's been a week filled with Geburtstags(birthdays) here...3 total. and after a dance party with 7 year olds this weekend, I am kaputt. Goodness to be 7 again.....my cousin Leila is just so full of life, it's great! Alexander is now 12 and my Aunt Victoria is well….I’m not sure if she wants me to share ;). I made enchiladas for Alex’s birthday and helped plan a fun party for Leila and her friends (pictures below)!

Bike riding happens everywhere so I joined the band wagon and went real mountain biking on Saturday. Hans (Aunts friend) gave me a lesson and took me riding on a single trail. I have never been so scared in my life but it was blast and I can't wait to do it again! I just have to remember not to look down at all those bumpy rocks.

Well, I better go help Alex with his math which one would think is the same across all languages but they use different signs for different things :/

I hope you all are doing wonderful! Let me know how life is in your little neck of the woods.

All my love.

-L

Mein Haus (my house)!

What the places/apartments look like in Stuttgart.

Inside the kitchen,,,,yum!

The little kitchen.

The dinning/living room area. Very modern.

Bathroom.

Alex's room.

This is my room that I share with Leila. She is the best roomie ever and yes I should have made the bed before I took the pic but oh well. She likes to sleep with me every night even though we have our own beds. I feel like I’m in the dorms again.

Another angle of the living/dinning room.

View from the balcony.

Germany is just gorgeous in the fall!